Could Courtois be waving goodbye to the Red Devils? “Technically better”

Koen Casteels put in a heroic performance against Romania at the European Championship. The goalkeeper was not only decisive with some crucial saves, but he also provided an assist for Kevin De Bruyne’s winning goal.

His performance at the European Championship will have come as a big relief to the goalkeeper. Indeed, Casteels has had to fill the void left by Thibaut Courtois at the European Championship. The Real Madrid goalkeeper decided not to participate in the Euros after suffering a serious injury.

Tedesco’s situation

It remains to be seen whether this injury is the real reason for Courtois’ absence. Indeed, the last line of defence had fully recovered by the end of the season and played five matches for Real Madrid, including the Champions League final won against Borussia Dortmund. Courtois also kept five clean sheets.

However, Courtois also has a falling out with national coach Domenico Tedesco after the situation surrounding the captain’s armband. It remains to be seen whether Courtois will still be called up for the Red Devils if a solution is not found. Especially as Casteels has proven to be a more than adequate replacement at the Euros.

Rivals at KRC Genk

Courtois and Casteels both come from the exceptional goalkeeper school of KRC Genk and Guy Martens. “At one point, Casteels was technically a better goalkeeper than Thibaut, I’m talking about 14 years ago. Of course, at a young age, there is still a lot of room for improvement. The same was true for Thibaut. He suddenly took off and left everyone else behind.”

Yet, there was no doubt about Casteels, who has become one of the best goalkeepers in the Bundesliga. “There was never any doubt that he was a good goalkeeper. He was just unlucky enough to be facing one of the best goalkeepers in the world. In itself, that’s not so bad, because this healthy competition has raised them both to a higher level,” according to Sporza, who quotes Martens.

According to Martens, Casteels can be a safe bet for the Belgian national team. “He can become the hero of the tournament. He has played well so far but we will have to see what the next matches have in store. Moreover, it also depends on what happens in front of him. Would Tedesco consider recalling Courtois or is this the end of the story for the Real Madrid goalkeeper?”